1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to nursing bottle assemblies. More particularly, the invention relates to the relationship between a nipple member, a bottle member and a securing ring.
2. Description of the Prior Art
On large diameter nipple nursing bottle assemblies, it is important that the nipple be retained under a securing ring when the nipple tip is pulled in a direction vertically away from the bottle or sidewise relative to the bottle by the user.
In conventional nursing bottle assemblies, an end of a nipple opposite to the tip effectively being used as a gasket between the securing ring and bottle member when the securing ring is connected to the bottle member. With the securing ring to bottle member connection most likely being a threaded engagement with the nipple member acting as a gasket, the nipple member possibly undergoes both excessive lateral forces across and excessive downward forces on an upper surface of the nipple member when the securing ring is threadedly engaged with the bottle member. By acting as a gasket and, thus, possibly undergoing these forces applied between the ring and bottle, the nipple member could buckle or bunch up. This buckling may likely result in a leak of milk, formula, water or the like.
For example U.S. Pat. No. 2,822,102 to Holland discloses a threaded ring which is disposed over a nipple rim while the ring is being threadedly secured to a bottle. Upon attachment of the threaded ring, a groove on the nipple upper surface is engaged by a downwardly projecting bead of the ring. A portion of the nipple rim is then forced downward over a sharp lip of the bottle and an outer portion of the nipple rim is compressed by the ring as the ring is exerting downward and lateral forces on the nipple member rim.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,495,548 to Revane a nursing bottle assembly screw cap includes an annular portion and internal annular flanges which are mounted between flanges of a nipple when the screw portion of the cap is screwed downwardly onto the threaded neck of the bottle.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,092,276 to Schaar a retaining cap has internal screw threads which screw on to external threads of a bottle and which also clamp the nipple flange between the underside of a flange and the rim of the bottle.
These three references illustrate the potential problem with using an end of a nipple member to serve as a gasket between a bottle and a securing ring connection. Since this nipple end possibly undergoes excessive lateral forces across and downward forces on its upper surface as the ring is screwed over the nipple end, there is a reasonable likelihood of buckling the nipple end and introducing leaking.